French President Emmanuel Macron recently sparked outrage by accusing African countries of “ forgetting to thank France for its help in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel .” During a speech broadcast on the Élysée Palace’s social media page, Macron went so far as to claim that without French military intervention, none of the current African leaders in that region would govern sovereign nations today. Such remarks have generated considerable controversy, drawing indignation from African leaders and citizens alike. In my view, these comments reflect a profound misunderstanding of Africa’s past and present, as well as a troubling sense of entitlement on the part of the French government.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the credentials of Sid Ahmed El Bekaye Hamadi, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on December 3.